Abstract
The world today is volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous. It is an increasingly disrupted world. Young people are at the forefront of this disruption—with the World Health Organization referring to today’s young people as “Generation Disrupted” (Gen-D). The ‘well-rounded’ young person is thus one who can successfully navigate the change and adversity that are implicated in this disruption. Adaptability is a positive psychological construct relevant to individuals' capacity to regulate cognitive, behavioral, and emotional functions to successfully navigate change, uncertainty, and novelty. Buoyancy refers to individuals’ capacity to effectively navigate adversity. This presentation shares findings from recent large-scale research projects exploring the role of adaptability and buoyancy in young people’s academic and personal wellbeing—including the unique and complementary ways in which adaptability and buoyancy contribute to young people’s positive development.
About Andrew Martin
Andrew Martin, PhD, is Scientia Professor of Educational Psychology and Chair of the Educational Psychology Research Group in the School of Education at the University of New South Wales, Australia. His research interests are motivation, engagement, achievement, and quantitative research methods. He is also Honorary Research Fellow in the Department of Education at the University of Oxford, Fellow of the American Psychological Association, Fellow of the American Educational Research Association, and Fellow of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia. He serves as Associate Editor of British Journal of Educational Psychology and School Psychology International, and is Consulting Editor for Psychological Review, Journal of Educational Psychology, and Educational Psychology. URL: https://www.unsw.edu.au/staff/andrew-martin